Different islands, more cafes - September 2016

The Scottish Government have marked 2016 as the Year of Architecture and Design. I’ve declared it the year of the island café. Another month, another visit to the islands, this time the Hebrides.

Lews Castle Museum Stornoway

The capital of the Outer Hebrides has been a frequently visited place over the last few years, with work taking me there on an annual basis. These trips usually involve a pre-5 am departure from home, followed by an intense working day so a restoring cuppa and cake in the later afternoon are considered essential requirements. For a small town Stornoway packs in the cafes and over the years I think I have tried them all: The Woodlands Centre, The Library, An Lanntair, the Crown Hotel and the Delights Deli would figure on the tourist trail and have provided many fine examples of cake excellence. The canteen at the Western Isles Hospital and Stornoway Airport café are less mainstream, but have been visited over the years and provided welcome nourishment after an early morning start, or when faced with a delayed return flight.

The newly opened Lews Castle Museum is definitely worth a visit if you are in the islands. It’s packed full of exhibits about life in the islands, and the fantastic audio visual experience was a real highlight. However, this is not a blog about culture or museums, it’s about cake – down to the serious business.

The café serves Starbucks coffee – surely a first for the Hebrides? The cakes however were locally made, and mighty fine. I’ve recently discovered a passion for paradise slice, and now once that is spotted on a menu I go no further. The café was pleasingly full at 4:30 pm on a fairly windy Thursday afternoon in late September, surely a sign that locals have embraced the addition to the Stornoway café options. The views are pleasing, there’s culture on tap and the menu for meals was imaginative and full of locally sourced options – a good find all round.

Callanish Visitor’s Centre

An incredibly wet and windy Saturday found me at the Callanish Visitor’s Centre on Lewis. After filling my brain with displays about the history of the site and braving the elements for a quick look at the stones, it was time to fill up with a scone. What a nice scone it was too. The setting is spectacular and the wild weather added to the atmosphere. The café was full of a mix of locals and tourists and the arts works on sale were a nice addition.